On Sunday, November 12th, punk-pop, Chicago-born Fall Out Boy delivered a 90-minute spectacle to promote their seventh studio album: "M A N I A." But as the set kicked off with the fiery, anthem-oriented track "The Phoenix," it became very apparent that the four-piece rock outfit didn't mind showing their aged, refined stage presence.
Most of the band's set consisted of tracks from their most recent era, which spans from early 2013 through the present day. A whopping five tracks from the boys' most recent studio album, "American Beauty / American Psycho," were given stage time, including "Centuries," a song that infamously plagued nearly every ESPN program the year of its release. Other modern hits, such as "Uma Thurman" and My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)" also saw their moments to shine on the setlist.
But where Fall Out Boy shined most was in the throwback jams. Not even 10 minutes into their set, the boys launched into a throwback to 2007 fan favorite "Hum Hallelujah." This became a rather pivotal moment for the group's show, as the tone shifted from pyrotechnic-heavy, radio-friendly stadium anthems to nostalgic, late 2000s punk-pop classics.
While the more modern tracks dominated the opening segment of the show, the band broke out some older throwbacks like "Dance, Dance," "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs," and "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy?" during the set's latter half. With seasoned showmanship (and the fact that most of the band members are fathers and pushing 40) Fall Out Boy have seemingly begun to achieve a mix of modern radio and pop appeal amongst teenagers along with an ever-present element of dad rock, as they continue to perform their late 2000 hits to many older concertgoers. (Personally, I felt that the highest point of the set was when FOB rocked their 2008 single "I Don't Care." Lead singer Patrick Stump delivered an effortless vocal delivery that showed just how well and maturely the boys have evolved as performers since their hiatus.)
The band's unintentional mixture of modern pop and 21st-century punk shines through perfectly on one of their most recent singles off their upcoming album: "The Last of the Real Ones." With a twinkling piano and glossy vocals on the verses contrasting with walls of guitar work encompassing the chorus, the boys provided one of the best songs of the night, as the sonic linkage of both Fall Out Boy eras unified the packed Seattle arena. This element of sonic unity also shined through on an unreleased track they performed to tease "M A N I A" as well. "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)" is a bouncy ode to punk-pop with its emo-tinged lyrics and whirling guitars.
The over-used pyrotechnics and production could have been dialed back a bit (the stage was nearly overfilled with various sparklers and fire-producing units), and the reliance on new material showed a slight inability on balancing the setlist, but overall, Fall Out Boy delivered a solid set with their new album now finished and ready for release. If they could rework their live show to display a better self-awareness of their dad rock potential (more deep-cut throwbacks to their earlier albums would be a great first step) Fall Out Boy could take their live show from an imitation of their past selves to carrying the true, unashamed attitude of a legacy act that's not going anywhere.
4 / 5
Setlist:
The Phoenix
Irresistible
Hum Hallelujah
Sugar, We're Goin Down
Alone Together
Immortals
American Beauty / American Psycho
Centuries
Save Rock & Roll
The Last of the Real Ones
Young & Menace
Dance, Dance
Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)
Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
I Don't Care
This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is Your Boy
Champion
Uma Thurman (encore)
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up) (encore)
Saturday (encore)
